40 Albums You Can’t Afford To Miss Still To Come In 2014

One of 2014’s most anticipated albums is nearly with us. The self-styled ”gangsta Nancy Sinatra” has been working with the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, with Rufus Wainwright also rumoured to guest. Three songs have been revealed so far: ‘Shades Of Cool’, ‘West Coast’ and the album’s title track. Excited? you should be.

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2/40

Jack White – ‘Lazaretto’
When’s it out? June 9

Jack White’s second solo album, following on from 2012’s ‘Blunderbuss’, is out next week. Another eccentric record that shapeshifts through rock, soul, blues and boogie, it’s as authentic, satisfying and tangible as blowing the dust off a vintage valve amp.

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3/40

Klaxons – Love Frequency
When’s it out? June 16

Early word on Klaxons’ long-awaited return has been positive, with NME’s Lisa Wright praising the record’s effervescent colours and energetic feel in a First Listen blog post on NME.com in March. Not long to wait now to hear it for yourselves…

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4/40

SBTRKT – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

It’s been three years since SBTRKT’s groundshaking debut, catapulting Jessie Ware, Little Dragon and Sampha to fame and grabbing the attention of Drake, among other big name stars keen for his production help. Little Dragon and Sampha will again feature on the follow-up, expected later this year.

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5/40

Chrissie Hynde – ‘Stockholme’
When’s it out? June 9

The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde releases her debut solo album, ‘Stockholm’, this month. The record is produced by Bjorn Yttling of Peter, Bjorn and John and recorded in Stockholm. Hynde has said of the album: “I wanted to make a power pop album you could dance to – ABBA meets John Lennon.”

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6/40

First Aid Kit – ‘Stay Gold’
When’s it out? June 9

The Swedish siblings Klara and Johanna Söderberg return with this third album, their first for a major label. Out later this month, it’s another collection of downbeat folk pop that rekindles the sublime delicacy of their two previous records.

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7/40

Tom Vek – ‘Luck’

When’s it out? June 9

Tom Vek’s third record, ‘Luck’, is out next week and is the Londoner’s first entirely solo, self-produced effort. Vek recently told The Guardian that influences on this album include Tom Wolfe’s 1987 novel The Bonfire Of The Vanities. He tours the UK in October.

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8/40

The Antlers – ‘Familiars’
When’s it out? June 16

The Brooklyn trio are set to release their fifth album this month. Peter Silberman, Darby Cicci and Michael Lerner will return with ‘Familiars’, the follow-on to 2011’s ‘Burst Apart’. Two singles, ‘Palace’ and ‘Hotel’, have been released so far, and suggest a similar pace and atmosphere to the band’s previous output.

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9/40

Cerebral Ballzy – ‘Jaded & Faded’
When’s it out? June 16

Where the NYC punks have previously stuck to a formula of writing about boozing and getting off with girls, they expand their remit a little on album three. Single ‘Lonely As America’ is “about the vapid existence that so many of us fall into, shrouded under the guise of everyday life,” Honor Titus explains. Deep.

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10/40

Deadmau5 – ‘While (1<2)’
When’s it out? June 16

Canadian electro-house producer Joel Zimmerman releases his seventh LP through Astralwerks this month. The record, set for digital release in June, will be a double album and feature Trent Reznor. Deadmau5 describes it as “the only album that I would even call an album…it’s put together like an album. Not a compilation”.

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11/40

The Knife – ‘Shaken-Up Versions’
When’s it out? June 16

The Knife announced this release – a collection of reworked versions of their own songs – late last month. The eight track mini-album has been previewed online alongside a new version of ‘Without You My Life Would Be Boring’, taken from last year’s ‘Shaking The Habitual’ LP.

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12/40

The Orwells – Disgraceland
When’s it out? June 9

A wild rock’n’roll joyride, you won’t hear many more unhinged albums in 2014 than Chicago crew the Orwells’ latest. If there’s any justice in the world, it’ll turn the five-piece into worldbeaters.

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13/40

White Lung – ‘Deep Fantasy’
When’s it out? June 16

Mish Way and her band return with their third album this month. It’ll be the Vancouver punks’ first for new label Domino and, if recent singles ‘Drown With The Monster’ and ‘Face Down’ are anything to go by, a continuation of the roughshod, hurtling punk that’s come to be their calling card.

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14/40

Slaves – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

Since putting out their debut album, 2012’s ‘Sugar Coated Bitter Truth’, and the Crass-meets-Refused racket of single ‘Where’s Your Car Debbie?’ in March, drummer Isaac Holman and guitarist Laurie Vincent have signed to Virgin. Their major label debut is due later this year, fingers crossed.

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15/40

Slow Club – ‘Complete Surrender’
When’s it out? July 14

Produced by Colin Elliot (Richard Hawley, Paul Weller, The Pretenders), the Sheffield duo say influences this time include Captain Beefheart, Dolly Parton and The Beatles. According to Charles Watson, “the idea behind it was to be a bit more reserved as opposed to putting reverb on everything.”

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16/40

Woman’s Hour – ‘Conversations’
When’s it out? July 14

Originally from Kendal (but now London-based) four piece Woman’s Hour release their debut ‘Conversations’ next month. Frontwoman Fiona Burgess outlines what to expect: “The title nicely summarises what we’ve created, I think. It’s about the conversations that you should have and don’t.”

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17/40

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers – ‘Hypnotic Eye’
When’s it out? July 28

“I knew I wanted to do a rock & roll record,” said Petty of his band’s forthcoming return. “We hadn’t made a straight hard-rockin’ record, from beginning to end, in a long time.”

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18/40

Jenny Lewis – ‘The Voyager’

When’s it out? July 28

Former Rilo Kiley singer Jenny Lewis will release her third solo album this summer, following 2008’s ‘Acid Tongue’. She’s been talking up the LP as her most personal yet, telling Rolling Stone: “After Rilo Kiley broke up and a few really intense personal things happened, I completely melted down. It nearly destroyed me.”

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19/40

Twin Peaks – ‘Wild Onion’
When’s it out? TBC

Chicago garage-rock group Twin Peaks have yet to release a record in the UK but they’re already moving on to their second LP in the States. ‘Wild Onion’ will follow their first British release, July’s ‘Flavor’ EP, which collates tracks from their debut ‘Sunken’ and a new cut in the form of the titular ‘Flavor’.

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20/40

The Kooks – ‘Listen’
When’s it out? September 1

Less guitar-pop and more RnB-tinged flavours will be the modus operandi for The Kooks on album number four, if lead single ‘Down’ is anything to go by. Speaking about the LP previously, frontman Luke Pritchard said: “To me this album is about pure expression. Even the way we made the album felt fresh.”

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21/40

The Flaming Lips – ‘With A Little Help From My Fwends’
When’s it out? October 27

Wayne Coyne’s lunatics are hard at work on their fourteenth studio album: a track-by-track re-recording of The Beatles’ classic ‘St. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’. A sort-of follow-up to their 2009 reworking of Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, Miley Cyrus and Moby guest.

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22/40

La Roux – ‘Trouble In Paradise’
When’s it out? July 7

La Roux’s second album comes fully five years after the eponymous debut. Since then, vocalist Elly Jackson has parted ways with founder member, producer Ben Langmaid, making La Roux a solo proposition for the first time. New single ‘Uptight Downtown’ gives a flavour of the record’s synthpop brilliance.

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23/40

Peace – ‘TBC’
When’s it out? September

The Birmingham boys have already shared a handful of tracks from the follow-up to last year’s debut, ‘In Love’. ‘World Pleasure’ had a hefty bass solo, single ‘Money’ had the band cribbing from classic rock, while ‘Lost On Me’, a feature of recent live sets, adds Bee Gees falsetto. Expect the unexpected.

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24/40

Manic Street Preachers – ‘Futurology’

When’s it out? July 7

After last year’s softly-softly and largely acoustic album ‘Rewind The Film’, the Welsh band have tapped into their old wells of fierce, angry intelligence for ‘Futurology’, with song titles set to include ‘Walk Me To The Bridge’ and ‘Sex, Power Love And Money’.

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25/40

Lil Wayne – Tha Carter V
When’s it out? TBC

For maybe the first time in his career, Lil Wayne has it all to prove on upcoming album ‘Tha Carter V’. His last release, the critically panned ‘I Am Not a Human Being II’ was overshadowed by a series of drug-induced seizures that almost killed him. ‘Carter V’ should see the Louisiana rapper come out all guns blazing.

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26/40

Nicki Minaj – ‘The Pink Print’
When’s it out? TBC

With production from Pharell Williams and Detail (aka Detroit musician Noel Fisher, who’s also worked with Kendrick, Future and Drake), Minaj claims this record will focus on the hard rap feel of her early tapes. No release date yet – “You’ll never know when it’s coming, until it’s come,” she’s warned.

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27/40

Jungle – ‘Jungle’
When’s it out? July 14

The west Londoners have done a good job of creating a sense of mystery and intrigue around them, but the real story with Jungle is their brilliant groove-laden electronic sound. Expect big things when their debut album arrives in July – if the rest of it lives up to the funk-soul thrills of single ‘Busy Earnin”, it’ll be a classic.

The former Smiths man has been trailing thos record with a series of spoken-word videos, the latest of which, for new single ‘Earth Is The Loneliest Planet’, features a cameo from former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson. The album itself drops next month.

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29/40

Honeyblood – ‘Honeyblood’
When’s it out? July 14

Scottish duo Stina Tweeddale and Shona McVicar are as lo-fi as they come – they recorded their debut EP ‘Thrift Shop’ on a 4-track tape deck in their bathroom. On their first full-length record, they might have graduated to a proper studio (producer Peter Katis’ Connecticut base) but they still maintain that scrappy spirit.

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30/40

The Wytches – ‘Annabel Dream Reader’
When’s it out? August 25

Brighton doom-psych trio The Wytches joined the likes of Toy and Temples as they signed to Heavenly earlier this year. Now set to release their debut album, the howling three piece bring together some of their finest singles so far, like ‘Beehive Queen’ and ‘Robe For Juda’, alongside fresh material.

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31/40

Sia – ‘1000 Forms Of Fear’
When’s it out? June 16

‘1000 Forms Of Fear’ is Sia’s first album since her 2010 release ‘We Are Born’. Produced by Greg Kurstin, it relies on the singer’s own talents entirely, with no guest stars included on the release, save for Diplo’s co-produced ‘Elastic Heart’.

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32/40

Cymbals Eat Guitars – LOSE
When’s it out? August 25

If the New Yorkers Cymbals Eat Guitars’ third album is as weird and unsettling as its strange cover, ‘LOSE’ might just be one of the year’s most adventurous, beguiling listens. The album was written as Joseph D’Agostino grappled to come to terms with the death of collaborator Ben High, so expect a strong emotional punch.

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33/40

Kendrick Lamar – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

It won’t be easy following the hip-hop juggernaut that was 2012’s ‘good kid m.A.A.d city’, one of the best rap albums of modern times, but word from Kendrick Lamar’s TDE camp is he’s relishing the task. Rumoured for release in September, brace yourself for thunderous beats and dark missives from Compton’s grimy underbelly.

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34/40

Prince – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

The Prince machine has been grinding back into gear the last few months, with sold-out shows across the UK and more to come. We’ve had a new single, ‘Pretzelbodylogic’, from his Third Eye Girl band along the way – can a new album be en route also? If so, expect solos and cosmic funkery.

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35/40

Foo Fighters – TBC
When’s it out? November

Dave Grohl says it’s “fucking crazy” and who are we to question him? The Foos’ eighth studio album drops in November, accompanied by a making-of documentary series courtesy of US TV heavyweights HBO.

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36/40

Interpol – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

During their headline sets on this year’s NME Awards Tour with Austin, Texas, New York’s gloomiest debuted three new tracks from their as-yet-untitled album. While no details of the record have been confirmed to date, judging by those songs it should be a return that’s as spiky, atmospheric and striking as ever.

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37/40

Frank Ocean – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

A smattering of live shows aside, Frank Ocean disappeared soon after the release of ‘Channel Orange’, apparently keen to work on new material. Two years on, that time could be nigh. Don’t expect much warning: both ‘Channel Orange’ and 2011 breakout mixtape ‘Nostalgia Ultra’ were dropped pretty suddenly.

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38/40

Kanye West – TBC
When’s it out? TBC

French pastries at the ready: in addition to getting married and launching his own range of signature Nike trainers, workhorse Kanye is also strongly rumoured to be working on a new album, set for release this autumn. Leaked snippets (‘Black Bruce Wayne’) suggest a less abrasive sound than the grinding, industrial ‘Yeezus’.

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39/40

The Cure – 4:14 Scream
When’s it out? TBC

Robert Smith is unsure about the Cure’s upcoming album, 4:14 Scream, the band’s first LP in six years, describing it as a “sore point” and adding he’s “barely convinced” the record is worthwhile. Nonetheless, we’ll hopefully get to decide for ourselves later this year.